Zuma Blitz on Facebook First Look

At Casual Connect in Seattle, PopCap gave select members of the press a first look at their upcoming Facebook game, Zuma Blitz.

Much like Bejeweled Blitz, the Facebook version of the popular game gives you 60 seconds to bust as many balls as possible. The one-minute thing is a bit of a misnomer, however. You can actually shoot special balls that will extend time a little longer, which gives you just enough time to maximize your score. There are also balls with special multipliers that will help you send your score soaring to the heavens.

The social parts of the game are pretty limited right now, and those in the game right now are similar to those in Bejeweled Blitz. There's a living leaderboard at the bottom of the page, and once you get your big score, you have the option to post it to your Facebook Wall for bragging rights. There's talk behind the scenes about adding more social features, namely a way to 'curse' your friends in the game. Once you beat a friend, you can curse them, and turn their Facebook photo on the leaderboard into something else, say, a picture of a sheep or cow. To get rid of the 'curse,' you'll have to beat your challenger's score and pass the curse back to them.

Unlike Bejeweled Blitz, Zuma Blitz will definitely include virtual currency (as in paid for with real-life-cash) that can be used to buy power-ups, which were not finalized in the version of the game we played today. PopCap higher ups have been looking for ways to make money on their social games, and Zuma Blitz will apparently be the first test case. The game will also include experience points system as well.

So far the game seems to possess the same addictive quality as Bejeweled Blitz -- it's just challenging enough that you'll keep going back to see if you can beat your high score. Just make sure you take a break from mousing occasionally so you don't get the dreaded 'Zuma Claw.' (It's real! Honest!) Zuma Blitz will be in beta within the next few weeks, stay turned for more details (and images from the game).